Viola plant named ‘Sunviolaho’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Viola  plant named ‘Sunviolaho’, characterized by its outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; vigorous and freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; single white-colored flowers with long peduncles; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Viola cornuta.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunviolaho’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Viola plant, botanically known as Viola cornuta, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Sunviolaho.

The new Viola is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Violas with numerous flowers with attractive flower colors.

The new Viola originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in April, 2001, of a proprietary selection of Viola cornuta identified as code number 9V-29a, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Viola cornuta identified as code number 01V-77, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Viola was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since April, 2003 has shown that the unique features of this new Viola are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sunviolaho have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunviolaho’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunviolaho’ as a new and distinct Viola cultivar:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous and freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Single white-colored flowers with long peduncles.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Viola differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Viola are broader than plants of the female         parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Viola differ from plants of the female         parent selection in flower color.

Plants of the new Viola differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Viola are more spreading than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Viola have larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Viola can be compared to plants of the cultivar Violetto Nive, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Viola differed from plants of the cultivar Violetto Nive in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Viola were taller and narrower than plants         of the cultivar Violetto Nive.     -   2. Plants of the new Viola had longer leaves than plants of the         cultivar Violetto Nive.     -   3. Plants of the new Viola had larger flowers than plants of the         cultivar Violetto Nive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Viola.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunviolaho’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Sunviolaho’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, in 15-cm containers for about seven months in an outdoor nursery during the spring with day temperatures about 13° C. and night temperatures about 3° C. Plants were pinched one time in the early spring. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Viola cornuta cultivar Sunviolaho. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Viola             cornuta selection identified as code number 9V-29a, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Viola             cornuta selection identified as code number 01V-77, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About two weeks at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About four weeks at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, fleshy; pale yellow in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Annual flowering plant; outwardly             spreading and mounded plant habit. Vigorous growth habit.             Freely branching habit with about 55 lateral branches             developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 16.2 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 39.6 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 15.8 cm. Diameter: About             2.8 mm. Internode length: About 2.4 cm. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 4.8 cm. Width: About 1.3 cm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic.             Apex: Obtuse. Base: Truncate. Margin: Crenate. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Venation pattern:             Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing and fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 137B. Developing and fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 146A. Venation, upper and lower             surfaces: Similar to lamina. Petioles: Length: About 1.6 cm.             Diameter: About 0.9 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.             Stipules: Length: About 3.1 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm. Shape:             Narrowly ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Pinnately parted. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single rotate flowers; flowers face             mostly upward or outward; axially. Flowers not persistent.             Freely flowering habit; about 130 flowers and flower buds             per plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants             flower from autumn through the spring in Japan; flowering             continuous during this period.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five to seven days.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5.8 cm by 5 cm.         -   Flower length (depth).—About 1.7 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 8.4 mm.             Shape: Lenticular. Color: 155B.         -   Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: Five petals; fused in a             single whorl. Petal length: Upper petals: About 3 cm.             Lateral petals: About 2.5 cm. Lower petal: About 2 cm. Petal             width: Upper petals: About 3.5 cm. Lateral petals: About             2.7 cm. Lower petal: About 3.8 cm. Petal shape: Upper             petals: Rounded with rounded apex. Lateral petals: Elliptic             with rounded apex. Lower petal: Cordate with cordate apex.             Petal margin, all petals: Entire. Petal texture, all petals,             upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth; velvety. Color:             Upper and lateral petals, when developing and fully             developed, upper surface: 155B. Lower petal, when developing             and fully developed, upper surface: 155B; at the base, 17A.             All petals, when developing and fully developed, lower             surface: 155B.         -   Spurs (lower petal only).—Length: About 5.8 mm. Width: About             1 mm. Color: 189B.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base; star-shaped calyx. Length: About 1.5 cm to             2 cm. Width: About 4.6 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Color, upper and lower surfaces. 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 9.8 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.             Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 2 mm by 1 mm.             Anther color: 11D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             11D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About             5.5 mm. Style length: About 0.7 mm. Style color: 2C. Stigma             shape: Ellipsoidal. Stigma color: 154C. Ovary color: 144C.         -   Seeds.—Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Viola have not been noted     to be resistant to specific pathogens and pests common to Viola. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Viola have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerance rain, wind and tolerated     temperatures from −7° C. to 25° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Viola plant named ‘Sunviolaho’, as illustrated and described. 